The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-29
DRAINING" LANDS.
THE MISTAKES MUST COUNT
Interesting Letter. Showing the True Situation Of
the State Regarding the Drainage Company and
the Hasts issue OF Deeds to II.


Editor nf the Pdlatkd Netrs-
TALLAHASSEE, FLA, April %.
| To the careful observer of the affairs Of |
| State there is ground for apprehension in |
| the political situation. That a mistake has |
| been made in connection with the Okee- |
| chobee drainage matter, is beyond all |
| question. More than a million acres of |
/ State lands have been decided to the |
Orange Company which recent develop |
ments show that the company was not,
and is not entitled To. If the report of |
Messrs. Daniels, Bradford and Davidson
is correct. and its correctness has not
been called in question. the Drainage
! Company has never Yet been entitled to
receive patent for a single acre of land
under its contract with the State. That
contract expressly provides that no
lands or compensation shall be con-
veyed or payable to said parties of the
first part (the Drainage Company until
some considerable quantity of lands. not
less than two hundred thousand acres,
shall have been reclaimed"
After a thorough examination of the
territory which was decided to the Drain
age Company during the closing days of
the year 1884, by the commission APP
pointed under authority of an act passed
early in 1885. and the taking of large
volume of testimony of the people who
reside within the borders of the district
alleged To have been reclaimed, the COM
missiOners find that only about eighty
thousand acres have been reclaimed and
rendered fit for cultivation as contem-
plated under the contract. Clearly, the
reclamation of but eighty thousand acres
no matter how Thoroughly and completely
accomplished, entities the Drainage Com
pany to not one acre of land. because of
the two hundred thousand acre provision
above quoted.
1t matters not that Mr. Disston in a
recent letter proposes To restore any pOr-
, ton, or all of these lands. That letter
: was simply the letter of a private ind-
vidual. 1t cannot. and does not pretend
to, bind his associates or the company of
? which ne is a member. Again whether
Intentionally or not, it is so adroitIy
: wordetl. as To appear perfectly fair and
, Just, while IN reality it only proposes at
D most, to restore to- the State such lands
as may still be too wet for cultivation. as
? We're, by mistake. conveyed to his COM
q pany. When we consider the fact
i which is within the knowledge of every
person who is familiar with that portion
of South Florida involved i'm this scheme
that, scattered all through the district
which has been decided to the
Drainage Company, there are ex-
tensive bodies of lands which
} never required to- be drained to render
=, them tit for cultivation. the disinterest-
. ed generosity of the proposal to restore
;, all lands too wet for cultivation and re-
> tain the dry lands, Is rudely Invested of
= its fair proportions.
h The late Commission found that a mis-
take had been made 10y, the agents of the
80 State who made the earlier inspections
-, upon which the deeds were based. Elk
Governor BloxIam. who was President
II of the Internal Improvement Board, ana
ir by whose authority the lands were deed
l. ell To the Drainage Company, very
frankly admits that a mistake was made
st He says that he himself suggested that {
subsequent examination be made in or
NJ der that the lands might be recovered il
ar it should be ascertained that they hao
=. been wrongfully conveyed.
\ 1t is charitable to designate this trans
- action as a mistake But let it be S.
NJ regarded. 1t is a mistake which involves
10 the interests of the State, because it eff
If fects the development of a vast region
~ lying in the heart of a growing and pro
M gressive section of the State. 1t is more
or 1t is mistake which involves the stand
= ing of men prominent in the State an,
-, prominent in the political party which
- has redeemed Florida from carpet ba.
- rule, and placed her on the broad high
no way of prosperity. 1t is a mistak
which involves the dominant politica
% party of Florida. to-day. and threaten
n the ACKNOWLEDGMENT and overthrow o
h Democracy in the State. Already, far
" seeing Republicans are looking forwar,
- to the next general campaign in tn
nj State, feeling that their enemies hav
rs placed within their hands the weapon
10 of destruction, and invited them to us
- them.
nj Ii needs no philosophical discernmen
~, to understand that the Democratic part
nm of the State of Florida is now confronte-
- with the question Of retirement of tn
-, leading actors in this mistake
~ or a permanent retirement of TIL
- party. Before the State Legis
~ lature now assembled at the capito
a. the principal of this mistake is seeking
vindication through an election to tn
United States Senate. In that bod
there are eighty-nine Democrats to nine
teen Republicans sufficiently stron
working majority to enable them t
u" elect whOmsOever they will. Upo
them and their action in this matter rest
M the future of their party If they sacrific
av the Democratic party of Florida to th
r, vindication of this mistake" the part
, a must go into the next general canvas
Ill handicapped with this responsibility an
tn confronted with almost inevitable defea
Admitting that w. ID. Bloxham hs
great claims upon the Democratic part
: n -conceding all that may be claimed
,sa this direction. can he require at its HAND
in vindication fraught with danger
~, Have his friends the right to ask that /
m be provided for. even if his party s
he down under the "diuih winch ms oiiici'
,ht acts may bring upon it: